


Shroudedtale: The First Child's Secret

by patbeck



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Chara, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Death, Food Poisoning, Other, Past Child Abuse, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", References to Depression, Shroudedtale, Undertale AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-16 13:52:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11830074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patbeck/pseuds/patbeck
Summary: The Underground was well familiar with the story of the King's son and the first child to fall. They knew of the tragedy of the the child's poisoning, the murder of the prince, and how it pushed King Asgore to take the souls of more humans. The story persisted well after the monsters were freed to the surface, after the eighth child broke the divide between monsters and humans. But what they didn't know, was that the story they were fed was a lie.Chara was very much alive, and there was work to be done.





	1. Prologue

The child ate buttercups, the child grew sick.

 

Their family wept for their health, wept for their soul.

 

Their dear brother knew of their plots to save the Underground, to collect six human souls beyond the barrier, but could not follow along with it, for their guilt killing them was too much. He, too, consumed the plant as punishment, feeling that they could not suffer alone, and succumbed to the illness. The royal family grew desperate for the children's lives, and pursued the royal doctor, [REDACTED], for their revival.

 

But something went wrong.

 

When the royal family came back, they arrived at the dust of their son, and the body of their child missing. They were both presumed to be dead, and the Underground mourned for their princes.

 

But their story was not the one their Underground knew.

 

Chara was very much alive, and they would not abandon their plan of not only salvation, but revenge.


	2. Talking to Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the early stages of their adulthood, Chara ponders over their plans, their relationships, and their desire. Some rather unhappy memories come up, making the deep thinking less enjoyable than they had hoped.

"Liquid determination," Chara hummed as they put their vials of determination back in the tray they kept on the counter. "It sure caused the monsters plenty of trouble while they were still in the Underground. After all, it nearly costed Alphys her job!"

 

They hummed a music box melody as they delicately lifted up the tray and placed it back in the cabinet, always satisfied when they got to work with organizing their home. They observed their surroundings, a small, dimly lit kitchen off to the side of a living room that was barely any bigger than it. There was a dark green couch, a rickety brown recliner, and a small television. There was no light in the room, save for the left over light from the kitchen, leaving the brown patterned wallpaper to look darker and more disturbed. Despite the old, peeling conditions of their home, it was still incredibly neat and tidy. Quite the contrast to when they were still a child, they always left their toys scattered around the room but still kept their bed made. It was typical of adults to move on from their bad habits as children, however, so it wasn't some sort of rare feat for them.

 

_Those poor monsters, becoming amalgamates against their will._

 

Chara shrugged. "They've adapted to their new lives, there's no need to have sympathy for them."

 

_I'm unsurprised, you've never had a lot of sympathy to begin with._

 

"Hey, I've had sympathy for your kind," they scoffed, walking to a nearby recliner and gathering their knitting needles. "I mean, I helped Frisk free the entirety of the Underground, shouldn't I get some credit?"

 

As they knitted their ongoing project, their mind flashed to the times they spent hidden in Snowdin, having cut their hair and changed their clothes to not make it obvious to others that they were alive. Everyone thought they were dead, and they wanted to keep it that way, not bearing to return with the guilt of a dead brother and the shame of failing to save their family. That was when they met Frisk, that kid with the shut eyes, brown bob, and that dumb striped sweater that Chara secretly admired. They were firstly shocked at seeing another human in the Underground, then intrigued by the uncanny resemblance the kid had to themself. Chara supposed that it was a sign for them to finally do something rather than hide around for so long, so every once in a while, they'd come and talk to them. Offer some commentary, give some advice. In retrospect, their advice might've been what kept them alive for so long, unlike the last six humans. But then again, Frisk's determination was stronger than the others, their save point certainly was another matter that saved their life.

 

_Maybe, I'm glad you decided on mercy in the end._

 

"Not quite," Chara sighed, they continued on their current sweater they were knitting. "We may be on the surface, but that doesn't mean everything is gonna be sunshine and rainbows for everyone. We still have work to be done, even if it may not be pretty."

 

_But you don't have to do this. The monsters are free! Everyone's happy! What else could we do?_

 

"Not everyone is happy," Chara growled. "We may be free, but the justice due has not been given. The humans who did this to us were able to go off scot-free, without consequence. It is not right."

 

_I suppose we never went over the way the humans treated us, even when Frisk became the monster ambassador. Why isn't anyone talking about it?_

 

"It is a matter no one is willing to face," they scoffed. "I am rather disappointed Frisk isn't willing to bring it up, probably because they want to suck up to the humans. But as you can tell, it won't go unnoticed." They smirked. "Their failure is being made up for by me. After all, we have already collected our first sample of determination, right?"

 

_And you had to kill someone to do that. I don't care if this is all for vengeance or not, that wasn't right!_

 

"It is a fair price to pay after they ruined the lives of your people," Chara snapped. "It is time we do the same!"

 

_But are these even the same humans who trapped us?_

 

"They are the descendants who upheld their system of oppression," they muttered. "If anyone is gonna pay, it has got to be them." Chara grew silent, thinking of the years that had gone by as they lived on the surface. They hadn't been around humans for so long before Frisk freed everyone, so being back on the surface reminded them of the injustice done so long ago. "Please, just...just let me do this. I cannot let them get away with what they did to you, what they did to me."

 

There was a moment of silence in Chara's head, save for the distant echo of thoughts going over what they had suggested. The absence of conversation gave way to the image of Frisk appearing in their mind, the one who introduced the idea of mercy to them. Whenever they thought of them, they only felt shame, they couldn't imagine how Frisk would feel about this. Really, it was why they hadn't spoken to them in so long, they couldn't bear to have those feelings again.

 

_Please don't hurt them too badly, okay?_

 

Chara couldn't help but softly chuckle at this. This was typical of him. "I will show some restraint."


	3. An Interesting Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara goes ahead with their plans and meets a familiar face in the process, causing them to rethink their strategies.

Another typical day in which completing errands was a must. Chara slipped on their black coat and snapped the buttons on as they patted their pockets to make sure their keys and their wallet were with them. Satisfied, they walked out the door and locked it behind them.

  _Don't forget to pick up some butterscotch! I'm in the mood for some pie!_

 Chara rolled their eyes. Though they were normally fond of butterscotch, the flavor was getting old to them. But, nevertheless, they were willing to please their dear friend. "Fine, I will be sure to remember."'

They made their way out of the small building they lived in and walked down the city street, pausing to take a last look at it. The building was old and black with a slanted roof, containing four rooms for each resident. It was a cheap yet decent living, though they had to admit that some of the neighbors could be annoyingly cheerful sometimes. But, they minded their own businesses, so that was enough. Chara continued on down the street, the skyscrapers looming over them, giving the illusion of going on forever. It was a casual reminder for them that they and all other monsters were finally free to see the sky, and it almost made them want to be happy to be free. But, there were humans everywhere. Everywhere Chara went they'd see more human eyes, more brown and red hair. More children that resembled the ones of a certain village they remembered, the ones with the small, scornful eyes and dark hair. Then there the more aged adults with creases around their eyes and sagging cheeks. Their disheveled hair and uncaring eyes, when they looked at them, they felt smaller and more vulnerable. They found themself feeling like they were closed off again in that greasy bar they grew up in; the one that was always crowded with the adults that didn't care about the small child left to their own devices. Sometimes, they could almost smell the alcohol in the air.

 Sometimes, when the right woman looked at them, Chara was reminded of the features of a certain woman.

 Their mother's eyes.

  _I think we passed by the grocery store already..._

 Chara stopped in their tracks, suddenly back in the present day. They looked back and saw that the store was indeed already a few buildings behind them; somehow they missed it while they were deep in their thoughts. They sighed in exasperation as they turned around and made their way back to the grocery store.

 "This is why I hate going outside," they muttered. "Humans always ruin it for me."

  _I guess that's the payoff for freedom...but cheer up, we'll be home soon!_

Chara didn't answer, they entered the store and headed off to get the first of their necessities. It almost a breeze getting all of their supplies and such, from bread to toilet paper, to the most important thing, **chocolate**. That was especially a necessity. As soon as that was gotten over with, they moved on to all of the other supplies. As usual, Chara liked to keep an open ear to the exchanges of conversation them. It was not only nice to pass the time, but also a way to see how things were currently in society. Media was not particularly reliable to see the true nature of mankind for them, so the common chit-chat among people gave Chara a more keen eye.

"Yeah, I set up the job interview for this Friday."

Chara cocked an eyebrow, turning around to see some young man in a business suit. He had his back to them, so thankfully it wasn't awkward at all to happen to glance at him. Intrigued by his demeanor, they lingered around the pastry section, taking their time as they kept a keen ear on the man.

"Yeah, the call with Mr. Crow went well, I think he likes me, so this interview is gonna smoothly. Nothing's gonna keep me from that job."

They took a note of their charisma, their interest peaking in the type of person he was. Most importantly, what type of **SOUL** they had.

"Hah, I don't give a damn about the hours. I had to start from the ground up as a paper boy to a freakin' journalist published with five different news networks! Something like that ain't gonna stop me, nah, I'm **DETERMINED** to get this job."

Chara stopped dead in their tracks, a smile playing upon their lips. This was what they were looking for.

"Yeah, I'm just finishing up here. See you soon."

They took the last few things they needed and made their way to the self-checkout, murmuring to themself, "we're done here for today."

_Really? Already?_

Chara didn't answer. As they checked out their items and paid for them, they kept a close eye on the man, who was flirting with the clerk as he paid for his things at the moment. They made sure to get it all done as quickly as possible so that they would be ready once the man got ready to leave. They waited until he set off out of the store. By then, Chara went on to follow him. Fortunately for them, there was a comfortable amount of people in the city that day, so it wouldn't be too obvious that they were trailing the man.

_I don't know if I can bear to look..._

"Shut up, it will be over soon," Chara mumbled under their breath.

It took close attention from Chara to know when was the right time to approach the man. And so eventually, they picked up on the fact the man turned the corner into an alleyway, an opener of opportunity. They followed him in, noticing the well-lit neighborhood up ahead that was still quite the distance away. It took timing to do this right, to make sure there weren't any witnesses and at the same time not let the opportunity get away. They had to do this with the perfect amount of cautiousness, otherwise, they'd have to wait a long time for another chance. Ambitious humans like him didn't come around often, so it'd take more searching to find another human with **Determination**.

They looked back, the street behind them was empty.

They looked ahead, there were no people watching in the neighborhood up ahead.

_Please, be gentle._

They rolled up their sleeves, picking up in their pace as the man neared the neighborhood. Sparks were itching at their fingertips as they got closer.

 

And closer.

 

And closer.

 

Chara's hand burst into flames, they dashed ahead and grabbed the man's head. The fire engulfed his head as he froze in pain, unable to scream as the flames already scorched his vocal chords by the time he realized what was going on. In just a few moments, the man slumped to the ground in a lifeless motion. Chara smirked as they stood above the fresh corpse; they had been over this before, they knew what to expect next. As they predicted, a red **soul** rose above the body, perfect for the taking. As if on cue, they opened their coat and reached into an inner pocket, pulling out a small jar. They then guided the soul into the jar and clamped the lid on it tight.

_This isn't right, you know that, right?_

"Oh hush, you had a part to play in this and you know it," Chara scoffed, putting the jar back into their coat. "Besides, your suggestion of being soft on these individuals turned out to be an excellent idea. Getting this over with quickly and easily was so...satisfactory."

_...Whatever, let's go home._

"Gladly." Chara walked to the neighborhood ahead of them, not wanting to come back to the city behind them. After all, there were plenty of people there who were bound to find the body sooner or later. If they saw them walking out of that alleyway, they'd be quick to point fingers. But the neighborhood up ahead seemed quiet, peaceful, really. There didn't seem to be a soul in sight, apart from the people in their own homes, so Chara felt comfortable to be strolling around this street without people growing suspicious. But as soon as they turned the corner, they heard an oh, so familiar voice.

"Chara!"

They turned at the sound of the voice, and their heart lurched when they saw that it was none other than Frisk. They looked good, better than ever, even. They grew out their dark brown hair and had it in a side-ponytail, and wore a blue and purple flannel with a leather jacket over it. They could never let go of purple stripes, could they? It was always their favorite color, just like how Chara loved green and yellow. Casually, Frisk wore some cargo shorts and sneakers, like they were out for a quick errand. Holding a cardboard box, they smiled at the sight of Chara and gave them a hug with their free arm. Chara stiffened at the sudden embrace, not being the type to be comfortable with physical contact.

"It's been so long! How are you?" They exclaimed, pulling back.

Chara gave a half-hearted smile, feeling awkward since they'd avoided their friend for so long. "Fine, I suppose," they replied. "My schedule has gotten so busy lately, but having some sort of occupation is better than none."

"Ah, that explains a lot!" Frisk said. "You never answer my texts or my calls, I was starting to get really worried."

Chara shrugged. "My apologies, I would've called you sooner if I knew," they glanced down at Frisk's package. "What is it that you are carrying, by the way?"

"Oh! Papyrus wanted me to deliver this to Undyne's house!" Frisk chuckled. "He doesn't trust the mailman since he heard him exchanging puns with Sans."

"Hm, typical," Chara smirked.

"You know, we have a lot of catching up to do!" Frisk mentioned. "How about you walk with me to Undyne's, if you're not busy?"

Going with Frisk would mean a delay in heading home, not to mention there'd be more questions as to what Chara had been up to in the time they went AWOL. However, they knew how Frisk cherished their friends, so if Chara went under again they'd probably end up pestering them with more intensity than before and insist that Chara stop being a recluse. That was when they knew their decision.

"Of course," Chara smiled. "We have been distant for too long, it is about time we catch up."

"Awesome!" Frisk continued on their path as Chara followed them. The way they trailed their old friend was familiar to the way the two used to operate back in the Underground, it gave them a twinge of nostalgia for the good old days. Maybe it was a good idea to follow Frisk since they found that they missed this. "So what have you been working on?"

Okay, now this went from nostalgic to a bit awkward for Chara. They were able to stifle their discomfort to not make it obvious that this was a poor question to ask, but internally they still felt weird about it. "I have been studying biology, I suppose," they said with a cool, false confidence. "More importantly, how the human **soul** reflects human anatomy. I am hoping for my work to be accepted by a university."

"That's cool!" Frisk exclaimed. "You're really smart, so I'm sure one of those schools will notice your work!"

Okay, so that wasn't a complete lie, aside from the whole university schtick. So it's not like if Frisk discovered anything, they'd find something to contradict what they did. "Thank you," Chara replied with satisfaction. "How is your ambassador work? This is your tenth year in your line of work, correct?" 

Frisk nodded. "It's not easy, but I'm getting the hang of it," they said. "You just gotta learn to be patient with people who might not always agree with you."

"That would be impossible for me," Chara scoffed. "I'd rather not have a bunch of humans try to boss me around."

"Yeah, that's a pretty poor aspect of the job," Frisk sighed. "But there are some perks it! Like traveling and meeting new people!"

"Well, as long as you are satisfied, I am content," Chara said.

The two stopped in front of Undyne's house. It certainly wasn't as flashy as her old fish-shaped home in the Underground, but it was obvious it was hers. After all, it was painted a painfully bright, royal blue, as flashy as Undyne.

"I should head off, I have things to do at home," Chara announced.

"Okay, it was really nice talking to you," Frisk smiled. "I really missed you, you know. We should definitely hang out more often."

The sentiment in Frisk's voice hit Chara in a way that nothing else could. Affection rose in their heart, something that didn't happen often. For them, this was a sign that maybe socializing was something worth trying. "I will be sure to keep in touch, then," Chara replied. "See you around."

"See 'ya!" Frisk went ahead to the front porch, while Chara turned the other way and headed home.

_You love them, don't_ you.

"I always did," Chara sighed, gazing at the sun above. It was slowly sinking below the horizon, plunging the sky into a deep orange.

_But what are they going to say when they find out about your plans?_

That certainly was on Chara's mind as they spoke with their friend, but there were no worries tagged along with it. They gave a low chuckle as their lips spread into a wry grin.

 

"Frisk isn't going to worry about something they don't know about."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I hope you enjoyed. =)


End file.
